Metal rods and Love
by ninabauer
Summary: Bizzare and tragic incident with metal rod brings realizations to Jack,Kate & Sawyer
1. Chapter 1

Jack couldn't believe it . His assailant lay next to him shot by Sawyer only seconds ago but this was Jack's minor problem the main one was metal rod sticking out of him just below his right collarbone.

In fact it was driven trough him with such force that it went trough pinning him to the ground.

The roar of agony was replaced now by mad panting as Jack tried to control the pain and fully understand what happened to him.

"Jack?" Sawyer's face swam into his view and Jack heard him mutter "Jesus F Christ!" as the other man studied him terrified.

Jack felt tears of pain forming in the corners of his eyes as he moaned and spat at dumbfounded Sawyer "Pull it out!"

"You want me to pull it out? "Sawyer replied finally waking from his stupor, "And then what?"

"Then if it didn't caught the artery I will live" Jack wheezed trough clenched teeth.

"Ok, ok ,don't move" he felt Sawyer's hand on his good arm and saw in his eyes something he could bet wouldn't be there –real concern.

Sawyer's hand curled around rod, just above Jack's flesh and Jack writhed in pain, streaks of tears traveling down his dirty cheeks.

"Jesus, hold still" Sawyer hissed at him then his tone got softer as he leaned closer "I'll pull it on three. Ok, doc?"

His fingers tightened on the metal as he counted "One…"and with all his strength he pulled tearing the rod out of Jack's flesh.

Jack jerked violently and Sawyer could swear he hadn't heard such howl of pain in his entire life then before he could register what was happening something hot squirted on his face and seconds later he realized with horror that it was blood.

Bright red flow pumped out of Jack's wound and Sawyer's hands almost instinctively clamped over it, his palms instantly drowned in warm slickness.

"Fuck" he cursed trying to push harder on the wound. Jack only moaned weakly as he was almost out of it now,eyes glazed and unfocused ,already going into shock. "The bleeder" he whispered in such impassive detached tone that it froze Sawyer for a second.

"What now ?" he asked ,the blood pumping trough his fingers in rhythm to Jack's frenzy heartbeat.

"What now ,what am I to do!" he was shouting now his face centimeters from Jack's but the only answer he got was soft gasp as Jack's eyes rolled back in his head as he finally passed out.

"Son of a bitch!" Sawyer hollered angry and panicking. For the next minute he tried to staunch the flow of blood but failed miserably.

"Hell" he muttered wiping the sweat out of his eyes with one bloodied hand. Grunting loudly he threw Jack's bigger frame over his shoulder in fireman's carry.

For the next minutes he stumbled trough the jungle under heavy weight of the other man, knowing that with every step Jack's life was waning.

Finally Sawyer saw the beach and others going on with their daily routines. He started shouting for help and watched as they ran to them.

Jack slid down his shoulder and panting heavily Sawyer lowered him to the ground suddenly aware that the back of his shirt was plastered to his back by Jack's blood.

Sayid and Kate reached them first and unable to scream she stumbled back whispering "What is this ?" Before Sawyer could reply Sayid words brought them down on their knees by Jack's side.

"He 's not breathing".


	2. Chapter 2

"He's not breathing. When did he stopped to breath?" Sayid asked trying to sound calm and not to shout." "Don't fucking know" Sawyer cried angrily "He was still breathing when I started to carry him…around four minutes ago…"

No more words were said as Kate with streaks of uncontrolled tears on her face was already bending over Jack tilting his head back and breathing air into him.

Wild eyed Charlie arrived adding to group of bewildered people who already formed a circle around bloodied sand.

Sayid leaned over Jack but was stopped by Sawyer's gruff "I'll do it" as he positioned his laced fingers below Jack's sternum and pushed hard.

For the next minute in absolute silence Kate breathed into Jack while Sawyer pumped his chest. Clean rags appeared from somewhere and Charlie clamped them on wound as it began to seep blood with every push that Sawyer gave to Jack chest.

The sight was nightmarish, sickening .There was blood everywhere, on Jack, on Kate's lips, on Sawyer's and Charlie's hands, even on sand around them. Jack's color went from ghostly pale to ashen as they couldn't get a pulse. Kate started getting hysterical and quickly the sobs made her unable to breathe properly for herself let alone for Jack.

"Freckles, get the hold on yourself" Sawyer hissed at her but she just stared at Jack's unresponsive face and slightly caressed him as if he was only asleep. "Freckles, breathe for him!" Sawyer's shout mixed with Charlie's distressed inquiry: "Kate?" But her tears stopped and she just continued to languidly caress Jack's pallid cheek. At this moment Sayid pulled her away from Jack and she was instantly replaced by Sun.

As Kate's screams of "No, leave me let me go ,let go!" permeated the air Sawyer and Sun continued to work on Jack.

The atmosphere was getting unbearable, thick with despair and tension as nothing was happening and Jack, their Jack was dead.

"Damn" Sawyer muttered sweat rolling down his face, his arms screaming from constant exertion. From the corner of his eye he saw Locke nearby , submerged in some kind of bizarre meditation or maybe prayer.

Sun checked Jack's neck for a pulse and solemnly shook her head once again .They weren't giving up, craziness slowly creeping into them. "Come on…,come on you bastard…"Sawyer muttered looking at Jack and noting the bluish tingle that appeared to his lips. Then between Kate's incoherent sobbing he heard her words…"Please don't leave me Jack…don't leave me…" His eyes traveled up to see her restrained in Sayid's arms, tears and snot mixing on her half crazy face. And he understood, he understood even before her next words had reached him "I love you Jack…".

Sawyer head swam for the moment from the smell of blood ,from anger and despair and then yelling "You damned son of a bitch!" he pushed at Jack's chest with such force that the light crack of breaking rib was heard.

"What the hell you are thinking you are doing!" Charlie's angry voice was lost to Sawyer who angrily pushed hard and fast on Jack's ribs over and over until he was stopped by Sun's frantic shout "No! Stop!"

So he stopped and looked at her through curtain of sweated hair. Sun's ear was over Jack's lips her fingers pressed firmly to his neck." He's breathing" she announced shakily 'And there's a thready pulse…"

Sawyer hung his head as Kate's wailing of Jack's name and all people talking at once, advising and giving orders ringed in his ears.


	3. Chapter 3

Next three days were the worst since they had crashed ,no one knew what to do as Jack hung suspended between life and death. After all by some ironic twist of fate they all were laymen caring for doctor. So eager and terrified they took shifts clumsily changing his bandages, choking him with water ,battling with bouts of his fever .

Jack himself was oblivious to it all ,alternately in comatose like state or restless ,burning with fever, screaming for his father ,sometimes for Sarah or incoherently whispering medical terms,directions.

Submerged in his own nightmare he was laying on narrow bed inside the hatch. Outside the hatch people waited. Every day and every hour they came waiting for the news and they did it for all different reasons-some because of fear of loosing the leader, the doctor, some because of friendship or respect, some because of love.

Jack was floating ,visions of his life and his demons creating his own ride from hell interrupted only by short periods of half consciousness when physical pain and fever would come.

"Jack, Jack…you have to tell us what to do" a woman's strangely familiar voice pleaded as next wave of nausea and unbearable heat rocked him.

To do what? And to do what with what? He didn't know. And he didn't want to know. He was tired of being the one to always know 

He slipped deeper.

Nothingness.

He was burning ,his entire right side pulsating with pain. "You failed Jack." his father's stern voice cut in. He couldn't breathe.

Hands were on him, soft feminine ones and other rough and strong.

Then blessed coolness came and before he faded back their words reached him.

"More towels, Sawyer, I need more and make them **really** cold." distressed woman's voice demanded.

"Geez, he's like electrical dryer, I'm not catching up with wetting these" another tired voice retorted

Blackness.


	4. Chapter 4

Sawyer didn't know what he was doing here. All those feelings swirling inside of him during last three days confused the hell out of him. He knew nothing.

Weak moan from the man laying beside startled him. "Wha?…Jack? "More intently. "Hey doc you are awake?" He studied Jack's drawn pale face ,cracked lips and sunken eyes.

Jack moaned again and his lashes fluttered slightly. Sawyer leaned closer and almost against himself lightly patted Jack on the cheek.

"Wakey,wakey" he said watching as Jack's eyes opened slowly and his glassy sight focused on him.

"Hell?" Jack rasped and Sawyer grinned deeply "No doc, you re not in hell…although you could say that "

"I bled…"Jack whispered suddenly remembering.

"Yes" Sawyer replied "In fact you managed to bled to death on us." Seeing Jack's confused stare he added :" But you are alive now, aren't you? And what's more…" he smirked "you got yourself kissed by couple of hottest chicks on this craphole island, while they gave you mouth to mouth. It's a shame you weren't in any state to appreciate it…

Jack closed his eyes trying to smile but failing miserably and after a moment he whispered with difficulty: "For sure CPR was butcher one ,it feels like I have some ribs cracked…'

Sawyer smiled at him gleefully but Jack started to drift off exhausted by saying complete sentence.

"Hey" Sawyer shook him not too softly by his good arm and then gave him some water surprisingly swiftly and gently in comparison to earlier gesture.

Jack managed not to choke and his voice sounded less raspy when he asked next question. "So why are y o u there?" "Because I'm a good Samaritan…we took shifts watching you and I kicked Freckles out of there two hours ago because she has just sat by you 16 hours straight…"

"16?Why?"Jack whispered trying to shut off the pounding in his head.

"Why she sat there 16 hours in row, you mean?" Sawyer asked and for a moment anger in his voice was raw and bare.

Jack nodded curtly.

"You know you **really** **are** stupid "the other man replied acridly. "And well I'm fed up with staring at your pale mug especially now as you are awake. I'll tell Freckles" he added more softly standing up.

By the door Sawyer turned once more to Jack "I'll give the news to the world. The subjects will be thrilled !" he almost smiled.

Jack was woken from the shallow sleep by soft hands on his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes to find red eyed , exhausted Kate hovering over him.

"Hey' she whispered her voice catching.

"Hey yourself "he quietly greeted back .

Her eyes were drinking in him and in her eyes there was…

Her fingers touched his face and he could feel how much she was trembling. Then her lips cool and soothing descended on his warm and parched ones in brief caress.

"So we are good?" he asked.

"Yes we are" she whispered.

Whew,I put Jack trough such hell that I'm almost ashamed ...but well I can't help it I like him vulnerable...  
But he's ok now safe in Kate's arms.I promise .

PS.English is not my first language as I 'm lost fangirl from Poland,so be gentle

Jack is My Drug & Jate is Fate


End file.
